Disclaimer-I don't own Digimon.

A/N-I'm trying this out. Completely. If it doesn't work...too bad. But I've been neglecting Junpei, and I'm not feeling too great about it. So...it's his turn.

Summary: It's been a while since the gang has met. Each has gone their separate way, she believes, and Izumi can't let go of a certain feeling. When finally she reaches her destination, she finds that, though unsure if it will linger in her future, she can't help but embrace what's waiting for her. (Implied, very slight JunpeixIzumi)

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Where The Wind Blows

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"Alright, I'll see you later, too!" the girl laughed, waving to her friends before departing in the opposite direction.

Almost immediately, the smile faltered, fading away and leaving with the jubilant air that had been around her. Izumi became one of the crowd, grim faced, quiet, constantly moving. Her feet wouldn't stop until she reached home.

'I like you, Izumi. I really do. Will you go out with me?' A boy had asked her that today. She couldn't quite remember who, but he had been one of the more popular people in the school, and all her friends thought her crazy for denying him.

Someone else had said that to her once. Someone who had really cared.

Izumi found her feet had stopped. Startled, she looked up and found herself rooted in the middle of nowhere. Move, feet, she told herself. Move.

The last thing she needed was to embrace useless memories.

Takuya.

That name rang in her ears endlessly. Wincing, Izumi dropped her bag and shut her eyes, slowly sinking down.

Takuya.

He had told her that, hadn't he?

-Flashback-

"Hey...uh, Izumi?" The goggle boy, now in sixth grade, sat in a swing, staring at the sand below his feet.

Izumi was in the swing right beside him, enjoying the feeling of the wind coursing through her hair. She could barely hear him, but skidded to a stop and glanced sideways at him. "Yeah...?" After all, they were friends. The least she could do was hear him out.

The twins, Tomoki and Junpei were at a picnic table. Truth be told, the twins and Junpei were at a picnic table. Everyone had requested Tomoki to make the delicious burger he had prepared for Petaldramon back in the Digital World, and so he slaved away at the fire. That was the only thing they actually agreed on while preparing this picnic. That, and (with much arguing) the date and place.

"I...have something to tell you...and...please don't laugh!" Takuya begged, shutting his eyes and lurching forward.

She couldn't help but smile. "What is it...?" The way he was going, she would laugh without meaning it. She couldn't help it. He was Takuya.

With a sigh, Takuya looked up at her, a solemn look on his face that startled the girl. "Izumi..." Drawing a breath, Takuya stood up and turned to face her fully, declaring in a loud voice, "I like you, Izumi. I really do. Would you...please...go out with me?"

Something had gone terribly wrong that day. Izumi found herself unable to breath, unable to speak. All she could do was stare at Takuya, unable to even blink, until finally, she looked away, tears streaming down her face. Her mouth moved of its own accord, speaking in a voice that wasn't her own. "I...I'm sorry," she whispered. "Takuya..."

"I can't."

-End Flashback-

Izumi rose to her feet, slowly. She felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her again, and again, and again.

Passers-by stared at her, whispering amongst themselves as she picked up her bag and brushed herself off. She was a spot amongst the shining cleanliness of society. After all, she had destroyed her friendship with Takuya.

She was positive. Why else would his actions seem so forced around her? Why else would he merely nod to acknowledge her, while he practically tackled the others? It wasn't just because she was a girl. Takuya wasn't shy. Slowly, Izumi sensed she was the reason they were falling apart. They hadn't seen each other in months; before, they had had gatherings almost every month.

It was her fault.

Put the mask back on, Izumi, she told herself, forcing herself to smile. There we go. That's not so bad. "Orimoto Izumi, reporting for duty," the girl whispered, straightening her posture. Her feet began to move again. There we go. Izumi relaxed.

Next stop, home.

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"I'm home," Izumi murmured, pushing open the door. Normally, she would have shut the door, then collapsed, crying without reason until she could get a grip on herself and do her homework.

She was Orimoto Izumi, the perfect student. She was Orimoto Izumi, the perfect daughter. She was Orimoto Izumi, the perfect girl.

At least, on the outside.

Once more, she felt cold, alone...friendless. Back to square one. The start.

She wanted another Digital World, one where she couldn't mess up. One where she could make friends who would stay by her side, no matter what.

Today was a slightly unusual day. It was her birthday. Her mother was home early. Her father would be home in a few hours, and they would go out for a nice, quiet dinner at some restaurant. She would look happy, and everything would be okay.

The lifeless smile lifted the corners of Izumi's lips. "I'm home," she sang, pushing the door shut gently and walking into the kitchen. "Wow, Mom, what are you making? Smells great." That was the key to everything: small talk.

Her mother just looked over her shoulder and smiled. "It's a secret. Do you have a lot of homework?"

"Finished it in school," Izumi said, taking one final sniff before making her way to her room. "When's Dad supposed to be home?"

Mrs. Orimoto sounded apologetic as she explained, "He never really did say when."

"Oh. Okay." Izumi pushed the door to her room open, threw in her backpack, and quickly shut the door. It's best not to go in there, she decided. I'll ruin the day for everyone else. "I'm...uh, I'm going to go for a really quick walk," she said aloud, heading for the front door.

"Alright, just come home before your father gets back. No more than two hours, although what you'd be doing out that long, I have no idea..."

Izumi left her mother to her thoughts, quietly slipping out of the house without a word. A walk would clear her mind.

A walk...

...to where it all began.

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The wind was blowing outrageously strong for any time of the year. Izumi, too exhausted to go against it, found herself being pushed by it. All in all, it made no sense, seeing as no one else seemed affected by the sudden change in weather.

She didn't like the fact that she was so easily deterred by the wind. In fact, although she wanted to go back to the park, her feet had been quick to change the destination, leading her in the opposite direction. However, her feet were no match for the wind. Izumi sighed, tired of all the strange things that had been going on. And yet, the wind blowing her on was slightly refreshing.

She missed it.

Kazemon, the girl thought, opening her mouth slightly. "I want to go back," Izumi whispered to herself, her eyes sliding shut. Kaze...I...the wind. She found herself choking on tears. "The wind...I miss it..."

Izumi brushed her tears away, calmly continuing forward to the park. A small smile lifted the corner of her lips. She had missed the feel of the wind, its refreshing effect. Ever since that day...

Don't think about it, she told herself, turning around and walking backwards, just to feel the wind on her face. Her hair blew back, lifted by the intense breeze. She didn't care that bystanders were staring, she didn't care that the wind was only pushing her. The wind itself was the only thing that mattered to her right now, and she refused to let go of it.

After several minutes of slowly walking backwards, Izumi found her feet had stopped, and the wind was only blowing harder. Confused, the girl turned around and immediately found herself ushered forward by a strong gust of wind. I don't get it...what's wrong? Her feet only aided the wind, moving of their own accord and causing Izumi to stumble through the crowd. Why is it that I feel like something's wrong...?

Soon enough, she found herself at the park, looking around with wide eyes. "The park..." Izumi bit her lower lip, unsure of what to think. Eventually, she took a step forward, walking with the wind still pushing her on. I don't understand. Why is the wind...? A smile appeared on her face with ease, and Izumi discovered she was laughing.

She wasn't sure what to think anymore. Maybe she was going crazy.

Shaking her head to clear it of any stray thoughts, Izumi decided to stop and think over things. Her feet were rooted firmly to the ground, her eyes shut. It wants me to go somewhere, Izumi realized. A far-fetched tale, possibly one she imagined, but most importantly, one she felt.

It seemed as if her youth had been restored. She felt as if she were only five, happily skipping through the park without a care. The only difference was she wasn't skipping, and she definitely wasn't five.

"Where...?" Izumi stopped, frowning at the loss of the friendly breeze. Once more, her heart felt heavy, and she felt the weight of the burden she had been carrying, the guilt she had imposed on herself.

"I...Izumi?"

Startled, she whirled around to look behind her, only to discover a familiar face.

Her heart skipped a beat.

Her hands were clammy.

There were tears in her eyes...

Her mask had fallen.

"Junpei," Izumi murmured, gazing at the boy to her right in silent awe. A moment of silence passed between them, each gazing at the other, eyes searching one another for something. The realization of her pounding heart caused Izumi to look away, a pink tinge lighting her cheeks. "I..." She bit her lip, unsure of what to say. I missed you. I want you to leave. Tell me what you've been doing. Does Takuya hate me? Do you? Please, help me...

"...help...me," Izumi found herself whispering, her eyes blurring over from an overflow of tears. "Help me...please..." Without a word, she dashed towards him, digging her hands into his shirt as she tried muffling her cries, startling them both.

But it didn't matter. He was her only source of comfort for now.

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He let out a sheepish laugh. "So, yeah. That's pretty much what we've been doing."

"You could have invited me," Izumi declared with a pout, trying to ignore the aching pains of her heart that traveled up her throat.

"Uh...about that..." Junpei gazed at the ground briefly before declaring, "Tomoki thought you'd get bored."

Another sting. Trying not to look offended, Izumi instead asked, "One of those guy get-togethers?" As she said this with hope, she felt the pain numb. Although, she realized, he'll probably lie just to make me happy.

An easy smile settled on his face. "How'd you guess?" Junpei asked, letting out another laugh. "But you would have gotten bored."

"Hey, I can play arcade games as well as any of you."

Junpei took note of the old liveliness returning to Izumi. "Well, Kouichi and Kouji are having certain problems..."

"Huh?"

"They've decided, what with the odd number of people, that they should share one controller. It's a lot more difficult than it looks," he admitted to the girl. "But they're pretty good at it."

Crazy boys, Izumi thought, swallowing her smile. If she hadn't, it would have faded anyway. Kouji, Kouichi, Tomoki...Junpei was only missing one person. "And...Takuya?"

There was the silence she had feared. Junpei scratched the back of his head. "Well...Takuya...has been having problems."

Her heart sank immediately. "L-like...?"

"Mainly...Shinya. The other portion is homework."

Izumi's eyes widened almost immediately. She stopped in her tracks and whipped her head to look at Junpei, who was unable to suppress his cackles. "You tricked me?"

Junpei burst into full out laughter, all thoughts of control lost. Slowly, Izumi found herself reddening, and Junpei's laughter only grew louder and more uncontrollable; yet, very soon, she found herself laughing with him.

Memories seemed to return to her like boomerangs. Takuya, Junpei, Kouji, Kouichi, Tomoki...she was the only girl among them. They all treated her the same, an equal, if not better. That day she had rejected Takuya...

Her eyes had been on the others. If she had accepted, where would she be now? Would the others have been jealous?

She had been wondering those very things in the back of her mind. She didn't want to just spend time with one of them. They were her friends. She couldn't simply put Takuya above the rest. And similarly, she couldn't put another person above them.

All that...from laughter. Because they were laughing...that day...today.

Izumi placed a hand on her stomach, feeling the after-effect of the laughter already. "Junpei...I...want to thank you," she breathed, taking a seat on a nearby bench. "I think I finally get it. I was scared before, but..." She gazed up at him, a small smile on her face. "I don't think you've changed a bit."

His jaw dropped. "B-b-but...!" he stuttered.

"You're still too nice. So thank you," she murmured, rising to her feet and holding out her hand. As his hand started towards hers, Izumi frowned. Dropping her hand, she instead reached up and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Yeah. Thanks, Junpei."

"Er...any...time?" He shrugged and looked away, trying not to blush.

Izumi turned away from him, hiding her devious smile. "By the way...I was lying."

"About...?"

"You changing. You've changed a lot, Junpei. But sorry, you're still not my type," she said, looking back every so slightly.

Wide-eyed, Junpei started towards her. "H-HEY!! Come on, I'm a gentleman! I...I'll walk you home!" he offered, quickening his pace so he was walking beside her. "See?"

Izumi pretended to frown, and did so convincingly. "Okay...but I have to warn you..."

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"What was that, Junpei? All that fighting in the Digital World and you can't lift a finger here?" Izumi scowled, stopping at her doorstep to count the bruises on Junpei's figure.

He rubbed his sore jaw and returned the scowl. "You set me up!"

The smile seeped through. Junpei glared. "It's a good thing this isn't a special day, or I'd've..."

Izumi's eyes widened. Not a special day? Well, I never really did tell them my birthday. She kept the smile up forcefully as she declared in a singsong voice, "But it's my house..." As she said this, she opened the door.

She suddenly stopped, seeing the look on Junpei's face. "Wh-"

"All the more reason I should push you in!" he returned, ushering Izumi past the threshold where bright colored paper danced across the air as the lights were turned on.

"SURPRISE!!!"

Her world spun to a stop.

Tomoki, Kouji, Kouichi, Junpei (who had shut the door after pushing Izumi some ways in and coming in himself)...her parents...and...

"Takuya."

The goggle boy grinned sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Look...about that time..."

The exchange of glances was enough. Both nodded to show the other they understood. Izumi swallowed back tears and more as she took several forced steps deeper into the room. Streamers fell everywhere, accompanied by balloons, and a large, 'Happy Birthday!' sign above the mantle of the fireplace. All the color made Izumi feel as if she was walking into Wonderland.

"Th-thank you…thank you, everyone," she murmured in a bare whisper. I didn't think…they would actually remember…

Takuya put on his usual confident smile. "It was all Jun-" he started.

"-Takuya's idea," Junpei quickly concluded, clearing his throat and gazing thoughtfully at the ground.

Izumi slowly turned around, gazing up at Junpei. Then, forcing a smile, she simply nodded and looked forward again. "Really…all of you…I don't know what to say…"

"Well you could invite some of your other friends. I don't know about these guys, but I'm getting-ow!" Kouji was promptly cut off by Takuya and Kouichi, both of who stepped on his foot and elbowed his side from their respective places. "I was joking…"

"Wow, Kouji, didn't know you knew what humor was," Takuya returned with a widening grin.

"You are going to get it…"

"Would you two just agree once for Izumi's sake?" Kouichi pleaded, gazing at both boys with a tired sigh.

"We did!" the younger twin insisted.

"On the cake," Takuya added before he covered his mouth. "I mean…"

Izumi stared at him. "Cake too…?"

Before the girl knew it, she was being pushed towards the kitchen. "Yeah! Let's go cut the cake!" Junpei quickly suggested.

"Uh-"

"I'll go get the cake out, then," Mrs. Orimoto said with a smile.

Izumi watched as her parents disappeared into the kitchen before turning back towards her friends.

Her head became clouded.

'I like you, Izumi. I really do. Will you go out with me?'

The words rang in her head again and again. Izumi's eyes slipped shut, and a small gasp escaped her.

"Izumi…?" someone murmured.

Slowly, she opened her eyes and gazed at them again. "I…wanted to talk to you all for a very long time…you all just seemed to disappear, and I was afraid I'd never see you again," she mumbled.

"That's silly!" Junpei suddenly interjected. "We were planning this the entire time! After that last get together we had, you looked so sad…" He trailed off, gazing at the ground, until he realized all eyes were on him. "A-and…so we decided to cheer you up! Right, guys?"

There was an affirmative nod from everyone, and Izumi couldn't help but laugh. Slowly, it faded, and a contemplative look settled on her face.

The way Junpei had been before…his eyes, gazing at the ground searchingly…she had felt the same way.

Was he really the same goofball he had been only months back? She didn't think so. Something had changed about Junpei. Izumi wasn't certain when such a change occurred, but she only noticed it now.

Such a change…

She was almost reminded of herself. He could understand her, couldn't he?

She could take that chance, couldn't she…?

Izumi allowed a bright smile to play on her face. "Alright! Let's go get some cake now, okay?"

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It wasn't like last time, where they had left without a word. After helping Izumi clean up, they had all agreed upon a set day to meet on.

A blast of fun doesn't exactly get the homework done, Izumi thought wistfully as she fell back on her bed, ready to sleep. With a sigh, she pushed herself up and gazed at the pile of presents in the corner of her room.

A speck of white amongst the green tissue paper caught her eye, and Izumi was compelled to stand up and walk over to examine it. She did so slowly, as if entranced by the object in question. Then, sinking down to her knees, she brushed aside the tissue paper and picked up a small white paper, covered with a familiar, disorganized scrawl.

'No matter who you're with, you're still our friend. We've learned to share already. Don't you dare hold back on our account.'

Unsigned, but it didn't take a genius to figure out who it was.

Izumi held the paper close to her as she made her way back towards her bed. She slipped the paper under her pillow, a thoughtful look adorning her face.

I wonder…will this give me the dreams I want? She gazed towards her window, where a gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the tree.

For a brief moment, all was silent.

Reluctantly, Izumi rose her pillow and swept the paper to the floor. I see. "Then I won't worry," she whispered, crawling into bed. If you don't want me to, I won't worry.

I can move on.

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A/N-

Could have been better. Honestly, I didn't know where I was going. I'll work on it later and fix it up. For now, Opinions are good.

Review or Flame.